The Lieber-Hegel Source Document Collection

This collection is related to Francis Lieber's work on Hegel. The so-called "Lieber-Hegel Document" (1865) is believed to have been utilized by Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of the Christian Science Church, in the writing of her church's textbook, Science and Health, with Key to the Scriptures (1875). It has been charged that some 33 pages of Lieber's work appear nearly verbatim in Mrs. Eddy's book. Further, the substance of over 100 pages of the Lieber-Hegel document appears in Science and Health.

This collection was given to the Seminary by Ms. Mary Sayles Moore of Indianapolis, Indiana and the Reverend Doctor Walter M. Haushalter, LL.D., rector of St. Luke and Epiphany Episcopal Church, Philadelphia, PA in 1952. It was semi-organized in 1993, and reorganized in August of 1996. It consists of a photostat of the original manuscript of Dr. Lieber's work, various reports of handwriting analysis of the document, and correspondence on the document. For safety reasons, the original manuscripts, from which these photocopies were made, are stored separate from this collection, in the Seminary library vault.

At the time when the Lieber-Hegel document was given to the Seminary a small booklet was published, which recounts the history of the document and the developments of controversy that surrounds it. Copies of this booklet are also stored with the collection.